Butterflies of Hungary Naturetrek Tour Report 19 - 26 June 2012 Anomalous Blue Assmann's Fritillary Lesser Spotted Fritillary Privet Hawkmoth - Sphinx ligustr Report and images compiled by Paul Harmes Naturetrek Cheriton Mill Cheriton Alresford Hampshire SO24 0NG England T: +44 (0)1962 733051 F: +44 (0)1962 736426 E: [email protected] W: www.naturetrek.co.uk Tour Report Butterflies of Hungary Tour Leaders: Paul Harmes Naturetrek Naturalist Gerard Gorman Local Guide & tour manager Participants: Sue Arnott Ian Arnott Harry Faull Lynda Hill David Hill Gloria King Martin King Helen McLaren Janet Proctor Chris Proctor Pauline Robinson Peter Webster Day 1 Tuesday 19th June Weather: Very hot and sunny The group were met at Budapest’s Ferihgy Airport by Gerard and Paul, our guides for the week. The plane arrived on time, and we soon had everyone aboard the minibus. Our cheerful and experienced driver, Istvan (Steve), loaded our luggage in the vehicle’s trailer, and got us on the road in very good time. We made only one stop on our way up to Aggtelek, at a motorway service area on the M3 near the village of Ludas. Here, we found our first moth, a tiny well marked Pyralid, Synaphe moldavica. There were also White Wagtails and Crested Larks. We continued our journey to the far north-eastern corner of Hungary, and along the way we added White Stork, male and female Western Marsh Harriers, Common Kestrel and, over a small lake, Common Tern. We arrived at the Hotel Cseppko, set within the Aggtelek National Park, and close to the village of the same name, at about 17-30hrs, to be greeted by a Large Tortoiseshell in the reception area. After freshening up in our rooms, we reconvened for pre-dinner drinks and a briefing from our leaders. Our meal completed, we all took an early night. Day 2 Wednesday 20th June Weather: Very hot and sunny After a good nights’ sleep, several of the group joined Gerard and Paul for an early morning walk within half a kilometre of the hotel. Red-backed Shrike, Eurasian Nuthatch, Hawfinch, feeding young, and four species of Woodpecker, Eurasian Wryneck, Lesser Spotted, Great Spotted and, a family of, three European Greens, were all seen. © Naturetrek November 12 1 Butterflies of Hungary Tour Report After breakfast, we set off to explore a scrubby, rocky hillside, very close to the hotel, and the Slovak border. A good mix of vegetation ensured a diverse collection of butterflies, and it was not too long before they began to appear. Scarce Copper, Marbled White, Silver-studded Blue, Green-underside Blue, Pearly and Chestnut Heath and a solitary Large Grizzled Skipper were all seen. Common Wall Lizard (Podarcis muralis) was very obliging to the photographers, and we also saw the iridescent green Rose Chafer (Cetonia aurata), Golden Yellow Wave (Idaea aureolaria) and a solitary female Roe Deer (Capreolas capreolas). The combination of sun and very high temperatures meant that we could not remain outside for too long. So we returned to the shade of the hotel terrace for refreshments and an identification session, before travelling to our next location, only some twenty minutes from the hotel. Szelcepuszta afforded us a covered picnic area near a forest hostel, in woodland. Whilst Istvan was preparing lunch we began to explore. Silver-washed Fritillaries were very abundant, and we also found Common Glider, Red Admiral, Great Banded Grayling and Woodland Grayling. However, the highlight was several Lesser Purple Emperors, including the stunning variant A.i.clyte. Common Toad (Bufo bufo), Barred Straw, White Plume Moths and the red and black striped Graphosoma italicum (a Shield Bug), were all added. Leaving our lunch spot, we drove a short way down the access road, and stopped in order to check the margins for additional species. We were not disappointed, as Gerard netted a rare Woodland Brown butterfly, and we also saw Wood White. The verge also produced two spikes of Cephalanthera rubra (Red Helleborine). Just west of the village of Szin, we stopped at a grassy hillside, to try our luck for some alternative species. Twin- spot Fritillary, Silver-studded Blue and Small Heath were all additions. Golden Yellow Wave moths were numerous and the nymph of Mantis religiosa (Praying Mantis) was recorded. Helen also found a Collared Flycatcher. From here, we stopped off in the village of Szin for very welcome refreshments, given the temperature of 31 degrees! Our final stop of the day, was a little to the east of Aggtelek village, in an area of open grassland, bordered by woodland. Safflower Skipper, Lesser Marbled Fritillary, Green-underside Blue and Black-veined White were seen, as well as many of the species we had already seen earlier. This certainly aided our recognition skills for some of the more unfamiliar species. We now made our way back to our hotel for dinner, to be met, on our arrival, by a solitary Silver-washed Fritillary, flying around the terrace. Day 3 Thursday 21st June Weather: Very hot and sunny, with a storm in the evening Those who chose to go out early, this morning, were greeted by Golden Orioles singing, Black Redstarts, European Green Woodpecker and Red-backed Shrike. After breakfast we all walked down to the pond and adjacent arable land, near the entrance drive to the hotel. Our aim was to seek out Large Copper. We were not disappointed, with several individuals seen nectaring on Aster anuus (Annual Aster). There were also a good number of Small Heath in addition to Small Skippers but, try as we might, we were unable to turn any of these into Essex Skippers. The bushes around the pond had singing Marsh Warbler and Great Reed Warbler, and a white Stork, in search of nesting material, landed a short way from us, and a distant Western Marsh Harrier was also seen. 2 © Naturetrek November 12 Butterflies of Hungary Tour Report On our return, the hotel drive produced a single Hungarian Glider, Pearly Heath and a Lesser Purple Emperor. Chris and Janet also found Orthetrum brunneum (Southern Skimmer Dragonfly). It was now time to board our bus for the short journey to the Baradla Valley, an area of hay meadows and scrubby, rocky hillsides. Our exploration added a solitary, and a very worn, Chalkhill Blue, Sloe Hairstreak, Ilex Hairstreak, Purple Emperor, Dark Green and High Brown Fritillary, Berger’s Clouded Yellow and Blue-spot Hairstreak. Patient birders were rewarded with fleeting views of Barred Warbler. Moths were quite well represented too, with Hummingbird Hawkmoth, Burnet Companion, Small Elephant Hawkmoth and the beautiful Zygaena carniolica (Variable Burnet). Additional invertebrates included Cetonia aurata (Rose Chafer), Libelloides longicornis (Ascalaphid) and Rhinocoris iracundus (Assassin Bug). After our picnic in the cooler shade of a rock face, we travelled for the short journey to the Tohonya Valley, at the village of Josvafo, parking at the ford and bridge crossing the river. Here, clouds of butterflies were enjoying the moist gravel and mud provided by the river margins. Mixed collections of Blues, Skippers and Fritillaries predominated. In addition there were Great banded Grayling, Lesser Purple Emperor and Green-veined Whites. Among the Blues we identified Short-tailed, Holly and Little Blues, High Brown, Dark Green and Heath Fritillaries. The whole group marvelled at the sheer number of insects drinking. Having spent some time enjoying this wonderful spectacle, were set off to walk up through the woods to an area grazed by horses. Along the way, we recorded Common White Wave and Black-veined Moth, Holly Blue, Hungarian and Common Glider and our first Alcon Blue together with White Admiral. At the grazing fields, we found large groups of butterflies congregating on the piles of fresh horse dung. Solitary Large Tortoiseshell, Comma Butterfly and Peacock Butterfly were spotted among the Assmann’s, Lesser Spotted, Dark Green and High Brown Fritillaries, and other groups contained Small, Safflower and Grizzled Skippers. Once again this was punctuated by regular passes from Lesser Purple Emperors. With these wonderful sights still fresh in our mind, we made our way back, for the return journey to the hotel. Day 4 Friday 22nd June Weather: Wet and stormy at first, brightening later Weather conditions ensured reduced insect activity, but we still managed a very productive morning. We began the day in the delightful Menes Valley, a mixture of meadows, wooded streams, open glades and a large lake. One of our earliest sightings was a solitary, and rather vocal, River Warbler. This was closely followed by Bombina bombina (Fire-bellied Toad). Several individuals were occupying a temporary puddle in tyre tracks, and it was not too long before we added Bufo viridis (Green Toad), and surprisingly Astacus astacus (Noble Crayfish). This threatened and protected species was previously unknown to Gerard, in these streams. Our arrival at the lake heralded the cessation of the rain, and the appearance of several Map butterflies and Small Skipper, together with Platycnemis pennipes (Blue Featherleg) and Ischnura elegans (Blue-tailed Damselfly). As we began to retrace our steps, the sun began to appear, and this brought out more butterfly species. These included Heath, Marbled, Pearl- bordered and twin-spot Fritillaries. Bird life had also picked up with Red-backed Shrike, Yellowhammer, Eurasian Golden Oriole and a rather vocal European Robin calling regularly. We took lunch in the grounds of the former border post, under the cover of the barbeque area. During our picnic we added Purple Emperor, Lesser Purple Emperor, Silver-washed Fritillary and several Scarce Swallowtails. © Naturetrek November 12 3 Butterflies of Hungary Tour Report With our lunch complete, we headed off to a grassy, scrubby hillside near Tornakapolna.